Prime Minister Keir Starmer has formally apologised for the British state's role in past forced adoptions, after decades of campaigning by affected mothers and children. Speaking in the House of Commons, Starmer said 'the shame is ours' and expressed deep regret for the systemic failures that enabled the practice.
Approximately 185,000 birth mothers and children in England and Wales were affected by forced adoptions between 1949 and 1976, driven by stigma around pregnancy outside marriage. Starmer acknowledged that the state did not prevent harm and failed to protect families.
Apology in Parliament
Addressing affected individuals watching from the public gallery, Starmer stated: 'The shame was never yours. The shame is ours. You should not have had to fight so hard for this day to come.' He added: 'Today, finally, I do say on behalf of the state and the nations involved: we see you, we hear you and we are truly sorry.'
Starmer emphasised that the harm was 'compounded by the actions and failures of the state,' which funded and legitimised systems enabling these practices. 'For this systemic failure, I am truly sorry,' he said.
Campaigner Reactions
The Movement for an Adoption Apology described the apology as 'a positive step' but noted it 'had come too late for a significant number of people.' The Adult Adoptee Movement called it 'a fundamental correction of the narrative on historic adoption practices,' adding that 'the measure of this apology will not be the words spoken today, but the actions taken tomorrow.'
Thousands of women were coerced into surrendering their children while isolated from families, facing shame and exploitation. Many adoptees grew up believing they were unwanted and were denied access to their records and medical history.
Government Commitments
The government announced £4m to help people access adoption records, reconnect with biological families, and create testimonial projects documenting long-term effects. A national online resource will be established to locate records, though Starmer warned some information 'may not be retrievable.'
Additional measures include improved mental health support and a lived experience reference group to review progress. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'The pain carried by mothers, adopted children and their families who suffered this appalling injustice is unimaginable. Today, on behalf of the British state, we say with one voice: this was wrong, and we are sorry.'
Ongoing Calls for Redress
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin spoke publicly for the first time about her mother being forced to give up a baby by the church, a secret she carried 'to her grave.' Pochin said she paid privately to find her sibling and they have now been reunited.
Adoption UK's chief executive, Emily Frith, said the apology 'acknowledges a profound injustice' but argued that 'words alone are not enough. An apology should not be the end of this story. It must be the beginning of justice, accountability and lasting change.' She called for a comprehensive redress programme including trauma-informed lifelong support.
Campaigners have sought a formal apology for decades. The Church of England and the Catholic church in England and Wales, as well as the Welsh and Scottish governments, have previously apologised. In Northern Ireland, plans are underway for a statutory public inquiry and financial redress scheme regarding mother and baby institutions.
A 2022 report by the UK parliament's joint committee on human rights recommended a formal state apology, stating 'the government bears ultimate responsibility for the pain and suffering caused by public institutions and state employees that railroaded mothers into unwanted adoptions.' The previous Conservative government declined to apologise, saying the 'state did not actively support these practices.'
Starmer's government acknowledged that some experiences fall outside the 1949-1976 period and that coercive practices continued beyond that time.
